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Dii 

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LAWRENCE  J.  GUTTER 

Collection  of  Chicogoono 

THE    UNIVERSITY   OF    ILLINOIS 
AT  CHICAGO 


The  University  Library 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2010  witli  funding  from 

CARLI:  Consortium  of  Academic  and  Researcli  Libraries  in  Illinois 


http://www.archive.org/details/inmemoriamjohnweOOchic 


Chicago  literary  Club 


IN  MEMORIAM 

JOHN  Wellborn  root 


DIED  JANUARY   15,   1891 


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AT  the  regular  meeting  of  the  C'hicago 
Literary  Club,  held  February  16,  1891, 
the  accompanying  report  of  a  Committee 
appointed  to  prepare  a  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  our  late  fellow-member, 
John  Welluorn  Root,  was  read  and 
adopted. 

Frederick  W.  Gookin, 

Recording  Secretary. 


T  N  the  death  of  John  Wellborn  Root  the 
■^  Literary  Club  has  lost  a  valued  member 
and  Chicago  has  lost  a  gifted  man. 

Everybody  knew  him  as  an  architect  and 
artist.  Our  city  is  full  of  his  work;  his  great 
buildings  tower  above  our  business  streets, 
monuments  of  the  strength  and  breadth  of 
his  genius;  and  quiet  homes  along  our  resi- 
dence streets  bear  witness  to  his  grace  and 
refinement.  All  of  us  and  all  of  the  members 
of  his  chosen  profession  knew  his  ability  as  a 
writer.  But  the  full  scope  and  range  of  his 
versatile  nature  were  less  well  known.  Only 
a  few  knew  him  as  a  musician,  and  yet  he  had 
rare  musical  gifts.  Many  surpassed  him  in 
mere  brilliance  of  execution;  but  he  had  few 
equals  in  interpreting  the  spirit  of  the  great 
composers.  To  hear  him  play  from  memory 
Mendelssohn's  "Songs  Without  Words"  was 
a  revelation.     It  stirred  the  deepest  emotions. 

He  died  at  the  age  of  41,  young  even  for 
his  years,  doing  the  best  work  of  his  life,  and 
giving  promise  of  still  greater  development; 
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like  all  true  artists,  dissatisfied  with  what  he 
had  accomplished,  and  hoping  yet  to  do 
something  great. 

As  our  fellow  member  and  our  friend  has 
gone  from  us,  and  we  shall  never  see  another 
design  from  his  hand,  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
remember  that  this  home  of  our  club  is  all 
his  work,  the  building,  which  was  perhaps 
his  most  artistic  creation,  and  the  decoration 
and  arrangement  of  these  rooms,  to  which 
he  gave  much  loving  thought  and  much  of 
his  precious  time. 

We  shall  remember  him  not  only  as  a  great 
architect  and  a  versatile  genius;  but  as  a 
modest  gentleman,  a  delightful  companion, 
and  a  faithful  friend. 

Bryan  Lathrop. 

William  L.  B.  Jenney, 

Irving  K.  Pond. 

Committee. 


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